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Chuck Versus the Cliffhanger
Chuck Versus the Cliffhanger is the fourth season finale of Chuck, which aired on May 16, 2011. Synopsis Before he can kiss the bride, Chuck must enlist help to take down Vivian Volkoff and stop her from destroying the big day. When Chuck turns to Alexei Volkoff for help, the CIA fires him, Sarah, Morgan, and Casey, and sends one of their best agents, Clyde Decker, to stop them. Full Plot Sarah is rushed into the ER at Westside Medical, having been hit by the Norseman. Ellie guesses that she has less than twelve hours to live. Chuck, desperate to save Sarah, decided to go to the man who created the Norseman: Alexei Volkoff. Despite the fact that they don't have the necessary security clearance, he and Casey decide to break into the maximum security prison where Volkoff is being held, but only to find that he's gone. Agent Clyde Decker then reveals himself as the one who shipped Volkoff out, revealing himself as the "cleaner" who's going to wipe away any evidence and witnesses regarding Agent X; and he doesn't care that Sarah is dying. To prevent Chuck from pursuing this further, he revokes all his CIA assets. Chuck responds by smashing the TV that Decker is broadcasting from. Meeting up with General Beckman, Chuck, Casey and Mary learn where Decker is transporting Volkoff. Chuck then asks Beckman for access to Castle. Despite warning that if he goes up against Decker, he's going up against the CIA, Beckman helps Chuck gain access to the Nighthawk prototype, a specially equipped and weaponized motorcycle, to chase down the transport and breaks out Volkoff. By then, Decker has already deprogrammed Volkoff and turns him back into his original personality, Hartley Winterbottom, the scientist who worked with Chuck's father, Stephen Bartowski to create the Intersect. At Casey's apartment, Hartley is informed of the failure of his alter ego, which was only suppose to last a few months. He is convinced to help create a cure for the Norseman. However, this only slows Sarah's condition. Mary then remembers that Volkoff had created a stronger antidote, but it's locked up in Volkoff Industries in Moscow, Russia. But, as they exit the hospital, they are captured by Decker, who brings them to Castle and has the Intersect removed from Chuck. Decker then tries convincing Casey to tell both Chuck and Mary that it's over. But Casey can guess that once they try and make a run for it, Decker would kill them all and look like the hero. Decker admits that he's not afraid to be the bad guy. But before he could shoot Casey, the latter breaks free and help spring Chuck, Mary and Hartley. He also calls Morgan at the hospital to take out the CIA agent standing guard. Casey and Mary then opt to stay behind and distract Decker while Chuck and Hartley go to Moscow. He also gives Chuck clean, fabricated ID discs to help him and Sarah disappear. At the hospital, Morgan and Devon try the "Magnet" move. Devon would distract the agent while Morgan knocks him out. But as Morgan is moving in, Devon acts preemptively and knocks out the agent. As they arrive at Volkoff Industries, Hartley is reluctant and afraid to talk to the daughter he is not familiar with and to impersonate his former persona and runs off. With no other choice, Chuck surrenders and ineffectively begs Vivian for the cure. Before Vivian shoots Chuck, her father returns (having easily gained entry due to all of his staff being easily afraid of him) and reveals the truth that he went undercover voluntarily and convinced Stephen to use his Intersect program on him. Vivian, tearing off her necklace and throwing it to the ground, accuses her father of molding her into his succession plan. Picking up the necklace, Hartley explains that it belonged to his grandmother, Vivian, her namesake who loved to ride horses. Chuck tries to remind Vivian that this isn't the life she should live. However, Vivian believes that there's no going back for her. Therefore, Chuck gives up the discs from Casey so that Vivian and her father can start a new life. Chuck rushes back with the antidote. With the help of Russian special forces (courtesy of Volkoff Industries) and the CAT Squad, Chuck and his new allies successfully forced Decker's team, which was guarding the hospital, to capitulate as he proceeded to save Sarah. He also threatens to leak everything about Agent X, including Decker's involvement, to the public if he threatens his friends and family. After the whole debacle was solved, the wedding ceremony goes on as scheduled without any problems. Morgan is ministering the event and weds them with the authority of the Intergalactic Federation of Planets. Two weeks after Chuck and Sarah have their honeymoon, at the expense of Hartley and Vivian's assets from Volkoff Industries, Decker shows up on a screen at Castle and intimidates Chuck by telling him that everything that has happened to him is part of a grand plan, and that he is merely a pawn. Chuck discusses with his team as to what Decker means. Casey figures that there's some conspiracy going on to have controlled their lives. But he sees that they have no reason to get involved as they are no longer affiliated with the CIA. Chuck and Sarah reveal to Casey and Morgan that Hartley has turned the assets of Volkoff Industries over to them and it's resources are now at their disposal, and they have used some of the $877 million to become the new owners of the Buy More after having been sold by the CIA. Chuck, Sarah, Casey, and Morgan then proceed to decide on becoming freelance spies and use the Buy More as their base of operations. In the very last scene, Morgan becomes the new Human Intersect from accidentally wearing a pair of sunglasses that Beckman had intended to leave behind for Chuck. Trivia * Bolonia Grimes did not appear in the episode, as she was nowhere near Big Mike during the wedding ceremony. This suggests that Bolonia will no longer be seen on the show. Despite this, Big Mike marries Bolonia sometime after the season finale and before the fifth season. * As he's closing up the partition in the limo of the newly-weds, Morgan again taps into the shared nerdiness with Chuck, quoting Westley's line from "The Princess Bride", 'As you wish.', a code phrase used by the young hero to mean 'I love you.' * A bit more (perhaps unintentional) nerdiness: Decker taunts Chuck one final time on the video screen, saying "Guess it's the dawn of a new chapter, eh boy?" Chuck replies, "I'd watch that 'Boy' talk, redneck." This is a...polite paraphrase of a line from the Mel Brooks movie "Blazing Saddles". It's not certain whether or not this is another example of Chuck revealing just how much movies have influenced his life. Cast Supporting * Mark Christopher Lawrence as Big Mike * Ryan McPartlin as Devon 'Captain Awesome' Woodcomb * Bonita Friedericy as Diane Beckman * Sarah Lancaster as Ellie Woodcomb * Scott Krinsky as Jeffrey Barnes * Vik Sahay as Lester Patel Guest Stars * Mekenna Melvin as Alex McHugh * Timothy Dalton as Alexei Volkoff * Mini Anden as Carina Miller * Richard Burgi as CIA agent Clyde Decker * Linda Hamilton as Mary Bartowski * Lauren Cohan as Vivian Volkoff * Mercedes Masohn as Zondra Rizzo Music * "Here With Me" by Battleme (Chuck and Sarah get cold feet) * "Conscience Killer" by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (Chuck riding the motorcycle) * ''"Firewood" by Typhoon (Chuck and Sarah do a cold run of their vows) * "I'm A Pilot" by Fanfarlo (Chuck runs in with the antidote) * "Sinking Friendships" by Jónsi (Chuck and Sarah's wedding) Deleted scenes The Season 4 DVD contains the following deleted scenes from this episode: * Decker, after having captured Frost and Casey, brings them to Castle and threatens to kill them. Morgan invades the base through the air ducts, drops in behind Decker and knocks him out. * After convincing Vivian to give him the Iridium 6, Chuck calls Devon, who reveals that the hospital is surrounded by Decker's man. Chuck loses hope, but Vivian calls in a favor from the President of Russia. External Links * Chuck Versus the Cliffhanger - Promo trailer #1 * Chuck Versus the Cliffhanger - Promo trailer #2 See Also * Chuck and Sarah's Wedding Category:Season 4 Television Series Episodes